⏱️ The 20-20-20 Rule
You have 60 minutes for 3 passages. Here's how to split your time:
Passage 1 (Easiest)
Warm-up passage. Aim for 100% accuracy.
Passage 2 (Medium)
Core passage. Maintain momentum.
Passage 3 (Hardest)
Toughest passage. Accept some guessing if needed.
Pro Tip
Spend 2-3 minutes skimming BEFORE answering. Read the title, first sentence of each paragraph, and any bold/italic text. This saves time later.
🔄 Paraphrase Patterns
IELTS never uses the exact same words. Learn to recognize these transformations:
Passage says:
"increased significantly"
Question says:
"rose dramatically"
Passage says:
"lack of resources"
Question says:
"insufficient funding"
Passage says:
"children under 12"
Question says:
"young people"
Passage says:
"the majority agreed"
Question says:
"most people concurred"
Passage says:
"detrimental effects"
Question says:
"negative consequences"
⚠️ Trap Words That Steal Your Points
These words change everything. Miss them and you'll choose wrong answers:
🚨 ABSOLUTE WORDS
always, never, all, none, only, every, must
These are almost always FALSE or NOT GIVEN. Real research rarely makes absolute claims.
🚨 SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT
some vs. most, may vs. will, suggests vs. proves
The passage says "some experts" but the question says "most experts" = FALSE
🚨 TIME TRAPS
before, after, during, while, until, since
The passage says "before the study" but the question says "after the study" = FALSE
✓ SAFE WORDS (More likely TRUE)
some, often, sometimes, may, might, can, tends to
These hedged words match how academic texts are written.
✓✗? TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN
The most confusing question type. Here's how to decide:
TRUE
The statement matches the passage meaning (can be paraphrased, doesn't need exact words).
FALSE
The statement CONTRADICTS the passage. The passage says the OPPOSITE.
NOT GIVEN
The information simply ISN'T in the passage. Don't use your own knowledge!
The Golden Rule
If you're tempted to answer based on what you THINK is true (common sense), it's probably NOT GIVEN. The answer must be IN the passage.